Tip for Destiny's Launch

by kapowaz, Wednesday, March 06, 2013, 07:43 (4062 days ago) @ stevrrr

Servers are expensive. It makes far more sense, financially, to have enough capacity for the usual server load that will persist long after launch, than to develop the capacity for a few days of high traffic.

I would think you could rent server space for the first few days, but then there might be issues with dependability of an outside company, not to mention the potential for loss of your server code, which would make pirating the game much easier.

When building a distributed system like this, you target ensuring performance is still acceptable at peak loads, not ‘suck it and see what it's like when the dust has settled 6 months down the line’. Server hardware isn't that expensive; especially when you're talking about a top-tier videogame release from a major games publisher. Operational expenses of this kind are usually amortised over the projected lifespan of the project, and you can guarantee that not every piece of kit rolled out on day one will still be in use towards the end of that lifespan. Plus there are virtualisation options to ensure you're using hardware efficiently and load-balancing etc. In short: initial outlay isn't a good enough excuse for not having enough infrastructure to cope with peak demand.

I think this is also what's behind the Sim City issues. It really only affects early players, which might not be a significant contribution to overall revenue. Not to mention that refunds for this sort of thing are basically non-existent, which means there's no reason not to do business this way.

Maybe in the US where the consumer laws come written on a damp piece of tissue, but elsewhere (particularly in the EU) this sort of wilfully consumer-hostile behaviour has consequences.